Charging valve



May 3 1927' G. E. MAIER CHARGING VALVE Filed June 18. 1924 geg 5.9 I5.7a

4 Sheets-Sheet l A l 'lllllllllln lll/I4,

@Ronny G. E. MAIER CHARGING VALVE May 3, 1927.

Filed June 18. 1924 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnvewfoz @0l-gp ,Z1 i

a@ Bumm.,

Nat

y 1,627,443 May 3 1927 G, E. MAIER CHARGING VALVE Filed June 18, 1924 4sheets-Sheet 3 jlfg 9,9

620/3? E Mazr May 3; 1927.

" 1,627,443" G. E. MAIER CHARGIIIG VALVE ruga June 1.8.A 1924 4sheets-sheet-4 l am! nu A Patented May 3, 1927.

UNIT-El) STATES PATENT GFFICE.

GEORGE E. MAIEE, OE Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, Ass'IG'NOR 'ro WESTINGHOUSEAIR BRAKE COMPANY, 0E WILMERDING, PENNSYLVANIA, 'A CORPORATION OF PENN-SYLVANIA.

CHAEGING VALVE.

Application led June 18,

This invention particularly pertains to improvements inthe chargingvalve disclosed in United States Letters atent Number 1,406,466, issuedto me February 14th, 1922, which is adapted to be employed in air brakeequipment, especially applicable to the type commonly lknown as theWestinghouse No.6 ET locomotive vbrake equipment, and which chargingvalve is also especially applicable for use in the air brake equipmentset forth in my co-pending application "for Letters Patent Ifiled April2, v1924, 'and bearing Serial Number 703,726.

My present invention especially appertains to the construction and modeof'operation of the regulating valve employed in the lcharging valve andthe primary object thereof is to pro-Vide a regulating valve andassocia-ted parts which are so constructed and operated as to render thechar-ging valve 'sensitive to slight variations of pressure on theoutlet side of lthe charging Valve and give it quicker action andgreater capacity.

Another object is to providea lconstruction whereby lthe regulatingvalve may be readily removed and replaced.

A further object is to provide a-charging valve which is highly e'icientand dependable in operation and in which the parts are so constructedand arranged -as to reduce. vto 'a minimum the possibility of thecharging valve 'becoming fouled -a'nd its proper Operation inhibited byaccumulations of foreign matter therein thereby obviating the necessityof frequent dismantling of the parts for cleaning thereof.

l-Vi't'h the foregoing objects in view, together with such other objectsand advantages a's may subsequently appear, my invention resides in theparts, and 'in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts ashereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated by way of example inthe accompanying dra-Wings, in which'- Figure 1 is a view of thecharging valve in side elevation and partly in vertical section withportions broken away, as seen on the line 1 -1 of Figure 3.

Figure 2 is a View in section and elevation as seen on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1.

Figure 3 is a pil-an view.

Figure 4 is a detail in horizontal `section as s'esn on the line 4e-4 ofFigure 2.

Figures a, 'e @ne were diagrammes 1924. Serial N0. 720,772.

tional views `taken on line 5*6 of Figure 3, illustrating the operationof the charglng valve.

Figure 8 is a detail in plan as seen on the line 8 8 of Figure 7 Figure9 is an 'inverted plan view as seen on the line 9 9. of Figure 7.

'Figures -10 and 11 are details depicting modified forms of the'regulating valve.

Figure 12 is a perspective View of the slide lvalve.

Figure 13 is a 'perspective view of the slide valve seat.

While like reference characters are employed to designate correspondingparts throughout the -several views, attention is particularly directedto Athe diagrammatic sections show-n in Figures 5, 6 and 7 whichillustrate the Operative mechanism and the associated air passages andchambers, 10 indicating lthe body :of the charging valve which is formedwith an inlet chamber A, an outlet chamber B, ports C and l) forconnecting the chambers A and B, a piston chamber E opening at its lowerend to a slide valve chamber F communicating with the inlet chamber A,auxiliary passages 'G and H leading from the inlet and outlet chambers,respectively, and 'terminating in spaced superposed relation 'above thepiston chamber E, a Apassage -I leading from the =upper end of thepiston chamber and eX- tending intermediate the superposed portions ofthe Achambers 'G =and HL Opposed ports J and K connect the intermediatepassage I with the passages "G and H, re spect-ively.

Mounted in the piston chamber E is a piston 11 vfitted with a stern 12extending downwardly into the chamber F and connecting with a4 Vslidevalve 13 controlling the Orts C and D to open and-closecoinvnfluinc'ation between the inlet and outlet Chambers'. A controllingspring 14 acts to normally dispose the piston 11 in a lower'- mostposition, as shown' in Figure 5, in which 'positionthe slide valve 13will close the ports C and D; the spring 14 also serving to assist incontrolling the movement of thel piston 11 and the port opening of theslide valve 13 when the piston is in an intermediate position as shownin Figure 7. The spring A11i is here shown as located in the pistonch'alnli bearing between tlie upper wail ef the fitter and the ftp @isie liu piston. The. spring acts to assist in controlling the moi-ementot the piston and the slide valve port opening when the air pressureabove the piston reduces or increases and to force the piston to andmaintain it in its lowermost position when the air pressure on theopposite sides of the piston is substantially equal.

Mounted in the inlermediate passage I leetween the ports J and K is aregulating valve 15 fitted with a guide extending into port K aordingunrestricted air iiow to the outlet chamber and a choking device L,extending into port J :Lider-ding a choking means to the air from theinlet chamber, and with a stem 16 which projects through the port J intothe passage G around which stem is arranged a spring 17 adapted to keepthe regulatlng valve bearing trmly against the diaphragm in all openpositions or to normally maintain the regulating valve in its uppermostposit-ion and to close the port K so that air under pressure lnay passfrom the inlet chamber A through passage G, port J and passage I to theupper portion of the piston chamber E to equalize pressure above andbelow the piston 11; the air pressure below the piston 11 correspondingto that of the inlet chamber by reason ot the latter opening direct andunrestricted to the lower portion of the piston chamber through thechamber F.

A feature of the present invention resides in a choking device affordingretardation to the flow of air from the intake chamber A and passage Gthrough port J and passage I to the upper end of the piston chamber E,relative to the flow of air from the piston chamber E through the port Kto the outlet chamber B, which is effected by forming the ports J and Kof dilerent working areas; the port J being of substantially smallerworking area than that of the port K and conversely the port K having aworking area greater than that of the port J. This is accomplished asshown in Figures 1, 5, 6, 7 and 1() by forming the regulating valve 15with a cylindrical portion L on its under side which projects into theport J and has its circumferential surface extending proximate to butnot touching the annular wall ol the port J which port is of such lengthand diameter so as to form an elongated annular narrow passage M betweenthe valve member L and the inner wall surface of the port. This chokedpassage M may be in constant open communication with the passages G andI as shown in Figure irrespective of the position of the regulatingvalve relative to the port K. However the regulating valve may be doubleacting and may operate to completely close the port J when positioned tofully open port K as shown in Figure 6; the essential feature being tochoke the How of air through the port J when the latter is open. Thischoking may he accomplished other than by lorniing the regulating valveand the port .l as above explained as tor cxainple the choking means maycomprise a choke M interposed in the passage (5l :is shown in Figure 1l.In any event the choliingr means is to have a working arca les:-l thanthe port opening of the regu lrating valve 15 and whereby fluid pressureflow will he retarded to the upper piston chan'iber. 'Ihe regulatingvalve port K is to have a working area greater than that ot the chokingmeans from the moment the regulating vulve 15 first cracks port K. Thefeature of the regulating valve closing the port J with the presentinvention is for the purpose of stopping the flow ot air through thechoking means when the charging valve is supplying a large volume of airto the outlet discharge,

thereby assisting in keeping foreign substances inevitably present inthe compressed air from clogging the choking means.

Arranged in the passage H above the regulating valve 15 is a diaphragm18 against the under side of which abuts the guide 19 projectingupwardly from the regulating valve 15, which guide projects through theport K and is guided therein, and seating on the diaphragm opposite theguide 19 is a shoe 20 against which bears a spring 21 in opposition tooutlet air pressure on the under side of the diaphragm. The tension ofthe spring 21 is adapted to be adusted b y means of a screw cap 22between which cap and the shoe 20 the spring 21 extends.

In the construction of the charging valve the various parts arepreferably constructed and arranged as particularly shown in Figures 1,2, and 3, that is, with the piston chamber E and the piston thereinoffset in relation to the regulating valve and with the operatingelements moving vertically; the upper end of the piston chamber E beingformed by a threaded cap 23 which when removed will give access to thechambers E and F and parts mounted therein. The piston chamber E islinedby a removable sleeve 24C and the slide valve chamber F is lined bya removable sleeve 25 in which the duplex ports C and D are formed; thesleeve 25 being provided with a vertical channel 26 on its inner face towhich the ports C and I) open as shown in Figure 13, and in whichchannel the slide valve 13 is guided. The slide valve 13 is of U-shapeas shown in Figure 12, being formed with an end tace 27 and parallelside walls 28 and 29, the end face having a single port 3() formedtherein which is positioned to register with the port C when the slidevalve is in its upper or open position at which time the lower edgre ofthe end face 27 of the slide valve 13 will be positioned above the portD to open the latter. When the slide valve is in its lowermost positionthe port 30 Will be disposed between and out of communication with theports C and D and the end face 27 Will eX- tend over and close the portsC and D. By thus providing a double port opening for the slide valve thenecessary movement thereof .in effecting full opening of thecommunication between the inlet and outlet chambers is minimized therebyrequiring but a short length of travel of the piston 11 and slide valve13 thereby obviating placing the spring 14 under abnormal strain.Furthermore, this arrangement permits a precise and simultaneousgraduation in the opening and closing of the ports C and D.

The piston stem 12 is formed with flat parallel side faces astride ofwhich the side walls 28 and 29 of the slide valve extend as shown inFigure 4; the stem being provided with spaced shoulders which extendover the upper and lower ends of the walls` 2S and 29 and retain theslide valve against vertical movement on the stem. The slide valve isslidable transversely ol the stein and interposed between the stem andthe end wall of the valve is a pair of springs 31 which serve tomaintain the slide valve in close sliding contact With the bottom wallof the guide channel 26.

The regulating valve 15 is mounted in a horizontally extending portion82 of the valve casing in which the terminations ot the passages G, H,and I are formed; a cap 33 being screwed on the underside ot theprojecting yportion opposite the port J the removal of Which cap Willgive access to the regulating valve and its mounting. The port J isformed by a nipple 34 which is screwed into an opening in the wallseparating thel passages (i and l; the nipple being screwed into placefrom the underside of the wall and thereby being adapted to be readilyremoved and replaced on removing the cap 38.

The upper portion of the projecting portion of the casing is formed withan opening having a marginal flange 35 on which seats the diaphragm 18,and in which opening is screwed a cap 36 adapted to be. removed tn giveaccess to the diaphragm and the parts therebeneath. The port K is termedby a nipple 3T which is screwed into an opening in the Wall separatingthe passages H and I, the nipple being screwed into the opening from theupper side of the wall so that it may he readily removed and replacedwhen the cap 36 is removed. The. nipples 34 and 3T being screwed intoplace may be adjusted relative to each other to afford the properspacing to accommodate the regulating valve. The upper end of the nipple37 extends close to the under side ot the diaphragm to limit itsdownward travel and in order to insure against it being closed by thediaphragm when the latter is depressed the upper end of the nipple istermed with radial channels 3-8 which lead outwardly from'the interiorof the nipplefand open at their ends to the passage H.

The lcap 86 is formed With a cylindrical extension 39 in which thespring 21 is disposed, and which extension is threaded to receive thecap 22 and Wherebyfthe tension of the spring 21 may be adjusted.

In the application and operation ot the invention the inlet chamber A ofthe valve casing is connected to a source of airunder pressure such astheI main reservoir of the air brake equipment of a locomotive, and

the outlet chamber B is connected to a piper line leading to anysuitable point of-dis charge to which air isto be automaticallydelivered through the charging Valve from the main supply at a reducedpressure, either charging a storage or an air brake system to. andmaintaining it preci-sely at, a predetermined adjusted reduced pressureor furnishing a constant volume flow of reduced pressure to the outletdischarge through the ports C and D, automatically supplying ituniformly for any volume required from the minimum to the maximum portopening precisely controlled by the movement ot the piston and attachedslide valve, and governed precisely by the tension of spring 21 actingon the diaphragm 18; the regulating valve and the supply valve operatingin unison and synchroni-sm for all operating charging positions. Whenthe pressure on the outlet side of the charging valve is normal, thepartslot the charging valve will be positioned as illustrated in Figure5, that is, with the diaphragm 1S retract ed by air pressure in theoutlet chamber B and passage ll in which position the regulating valve1V will close port K. Main reservoir pressure in thefchamher A will thenpass through passage (i and enter the chamber ll at its upper endthrough the port .l and thereby increase the pressure above piston 11,and being present ill the lower end of chamber Vll below the piston byreason of the direct open communication afforded by the chamber F, theair pressure will then equalize on opposite sides of the piston 11 sothat the latter will be acted on by the spring 14 and moved to itslowermost position to close ports C and D by the slide valve 155. 0nreduction or variation ot pressure in the outlet chamber B and passage Hthe diaphragm 18 will be moved downwardly under the action of the spring21 to a position depending on the extent of the reduction of pressure inthe outlet charnber so as to shift the regulating valve 15 to open theport K and may move valve 15 to close the port J, as shown in Figure (iunder a heavy outlet discharge, but, ywhen a slight or moderate outletdischarge is demanded the diaphragm will vmove the reglli ulating valveto an intermediate position, as illustrated in Fig. 7, thus effectingeither a full or graduated open communication between the upper portionof the piston chamber to the passage II and outlet chamber' B andthereby effect a reduction of pressure from above the piston 11 assistedby the ehoking means in retarding inlet pressure to the upper end of thepiston chamber. The air pressure beneath the piston 11 will then be inexcess ot that above the piston and will operate in opposition to theabove reduced pressure and spring 14 to move the piston upwardly to aposition corresponding to the open position of the regulating valve 15and accordingly move the slide valve 13 to partially or fully open theports C and D. Main reservoir pressure will then flow from the chamber Aand chamber F through the ports C and I) into the chamber B and outletdischarge at a constant or graduated rate until such time as thecharging has been accomplished and the pressure in the chamber B will beraised sufliciently to restore the diaphragm 18 to normal in oppositionto the spring 21, whereupon the spring 17 will act to insure theregulating valve 15 closing port K so that main reservoir pressure willthen be permitted to increase in the chamber above the piston 11 toreestablish equalized pressures on opposite sides of the piston andpermit the spring 14 to restore the piston and slide value to the normalposition shown in Figure 5. Should the outlet discharge be increased orreduced, as illustrated in Figure 7, the varied oulet pressure willefl'ect a precise graduated movement of the diaphragm 18, therebyeffecting a synchronized graduated positioning of the regulating valve15 and theslide valve 13, caused by the outlet discharge pressureoperating the spring pressed diaphragm and thereby graduate thereduction or increase of pressure above piston 11, and the pistoncontrolling spring 14 acting in unison with the regulating spring 21effecting like responses, which will produce a balancing of the pistonin the various charging positions et the charging valve, and therebyproducing a gradiuued discharge of fluid pressure lo the outlet chamber.

ll has been found in practice that complete closing ef the port Ithrough which the air prersure is delivered to the upper' end el' thepiston chamber 1s not essential. The flow oi' air from the intakechamber A lo the passage I is choked and caused to flow at a. slowerrate and supplied through the port .I in less volume than the rate offlow and volume eXhau:` ted through the port K; and accordingly theregulating valve may he formed as shown in Figure 10, or, by providingthe choking means M in the passage Gr as shown in Figure 11. Theretardation or choking of the fiovv of air to the passage I may beprovided at any convenient point between the regulating valve and theinlet chamber A. The choking device is provided for retarding the flowof inlet pressure to the upper end of the piston,

whirh will permit a graduated reduction or increase of pressure abovethe piston to effect a graduated opening and closing of thel slidevalve, and thereby furnish the proper volume flow to the outlet chamberpromptly on demand. This feature, coupled with the short stroke of thepiston required to open or close the double ports C and l) by the slidevalve renders the charging valve extremely sensitive to variation in airpressures in the discharge chamber B and its communications and insuresthe maintaining of the air pressures on the discharge side of thecharging valve uniform, thereby obviating variations of air pressure inthe outlet chamber and its communications.

lVhile l' have ,iquecified my invention as applicable to air brakeequipment on locomotives, it may obviously be employed Wherever deviresof this kind are serviceable, and while I have shown and described aspecific embodiment of my invention, I do not limit myself to the exactdetails of construction ehown, but may resort to such changes andmodifications as occasion may require and as come within the spirit andscope of the appended claims.

I claim- 1. In a charging valve embodying a valve casing having inletand outlet chambers, and formed with auxiliary passages leading fromsaid chambers and terminating in superposed spaced relation, said valveeasing being also provided with a piston chamber and a passage leadingfrom said piston chamber having a termination interposed between theterminations of the first named passages and communicating therewiththrough opposed ports; a valve normally closing the port leading to theoutlet passage, said valve having a cylindrical portion on its undersidewhich projects into the port leading to the inlet passage with itscircun'iferential surface extending proximate to but not touching thewall et the port thereby forming a choked passage through said port,said choked par-sage having a working area smaller than that of' theport leading lo the outlet passage, and said valve being adapted to beremoved and replaced through said inlet port.

Q. In a charging valve, a valve casing having inlet and outlet chambers,and formed with auxiliary passages leading from said chambers andterminating in super-posed spaced relation, a piston chamber in saidvalve casing, a passage leading from said piston chamber having atermination interposed between the termination of the first il i) namedpassages and communicating therewith through opposed ports; a doublefaced regulating valve, one of said faces of said regulating valve fornormally closing the port leading from the piston chamber to the outletpassage, the other face on said regulating valve for closing the portleading from the inlet passage to the piston chamber when said chargingvalve is supplying a large volume of air to the outlet discharge, acylindrical portion on said regulating valve projecting into the portleading to the inlet passage with its circumferential surface eX-tending proximate to but not touching the wall of the port therebyforming a choked passage through said port, said choked passage having aworking area smaller than that leading to the outlet passage whereby airflow through said choked passage will be retarded.

3. In a charging valve, a valve casing having inlet and outlet chambers,a passage leading from each of said chambers having portions extendingin spaced relation to each other, an intermediate passage extendingbetween said pair of passages, opposed ports leading from saidintermediate passage to each of the pair of passages, a, choking' meansin the passage leading from the inlet chamber to the intermediatepassage, and a double faced valve arranged between the opposed ports,one face ol' said valve for closing the port leading from the inletchamber when said charging valve is discharging a large volume of fluidpressure to the outlet chamber, and the other face of said valve fornormally closing the port leading to the outlet chamber.

4. In a charging valve, a valve casing having inlet and outlet chambers,and formed with auxiliary passages leading from said chambers andterminating in superposed spaced relation, a piston chamber in saidvalve casing, a passage leading to said piston chamber having atermination interposed between the terminations of the first namedpassages and communicating therewith through opposed ports, and aregulating valve having a cylindrical portion projecting into the portleading to the inlet passage with its circumferential surface extendingproximate to but not touching the wall of the port thereby forming achoked passage through said port, said regulating valve normally closingthe port leading from the piston chamber to the outlet passage.

5. In a charging valve embodying a casing having inlet and outletchambers, and portal communication between said chambers, a valvebetween the inlet and outlet chambers, a piston chamber in said casingthe lower end in direct communication with said inlet chamber, a pistonin said piston chamber connected to said valve, the under side of saidpiston being presented to inlet pressure only, a piston Controllingspring above said piston, an auxiliary port and passage between theupper end of said piston chamber and the outlet chamber, an auxiliarypassage between the inlet chamber and the upper end of the pistonchamber, said inlet auxiliary passage being choked, a regulating valvearranged in said auxiliary port, and a regulating means arranged with aspring pressed diaphragm abutting said regulating valve.

6. In a charging valve embodying a casing having inlet and outletchambers, and formed with a duplex port between said chambers, a slidevalve arranged with said duplex port, a piston chamber in said casing, apiston in said piston chamber connected to said slide valve, the underside of said piston being directly presented to inlet pressure only, apiston controlling spring above said piston, a port and passage, betweenthe upper end of the piston chamber and the outlet chamber, a chokedcommunication between the inlet chamber and the upper end of the pistonchamber, a regulating valve arranged in said port, and a spring presseddiaphragm abutting said regulating valve.

7. In a charging valve embodying a casing having inlet and outletchambers, and a valve between said chambers, a piston chamber in saidcasing, a piston in said piston chamber connected to said valve, theunder side of said piston being directly presented to inlet pressureonly, a communication between the upper end of the piston chamber andthe outlet chamber, a choked auxiliary passage leading from the inletchamber to the upper end of the piston chamber, a regulating valvearranged in said first named communication, and a spring pressedregulating means abutting said regulating valve.

GEORGE E. MAIER.

